The political cabinet system has a number of advantages and disadvantages, which are discussed in the points below. A cabinet, such as the one that exists in the Westminster system in the United Kingdom, is a collection of highly ranking government members. These individuals hold private meetings to decide on government legislation. It is important for all members of the cabinet to publicly support current legislation decisions, in order for respect for the system to be upheld. Cabinet members are elected by other members of the political committee, and are lead by the current prime minister.
- Advantages of the cabinet system
One advantage of the cabinet system is that it effectively comes up with plans for legislation, and the limited number of members in the cabinet allows for decisions to be made relatively swiftly. Members of the cabinet often have different views, which means a variety of approaches tend to be considered. The existence of a shadow cabinet, which is made up of members of the opposition party, means the actions of the current cabinet are constantly under scrutiny. For this reason the cabinet is careful to be functional at all times and avoid displays of conflict or inefficiency.
- Disadvantages of the cabinet system
As all members of a cabinet have the same political allegiance, it can not be said that a wide range of society members are represented when legislation is discussed. This could lead to an unbalanced legal system. As cabinet meetings are held in secret, and details of them only emerge decades later, they can not be held to public scrutiny, which many people find unjust. Sometimes, decisions discussed in cabinet meetings have in reality already been made, making them unfair and a pointless waste of taxpayer's money.
